The old jail of the county
The old jail of the county

The old jail of the county

The old jail of the county

15 years of abandonment without graffiti (or almost)

Project ideas abound for this old provincial jail today abandoned. The building has been closed in 2001 following the construction of a larger and more modern correctional center. More than a dozen projects have been launched in the air: a shelter for the homeless, a music studio, a small hotel offering nights behind bars and much more. None of them have been accepted for different reasons. To the despair of the town..

Built in 1928 and completed in 1930, the facility received the worst criminals of this maritime province. A total of 50 prisoners could serving their sentences it in the four wings. The cells were small and some had bunk beds. In the basement, there were three isolation cells, and a cell with two benches to receive prisoners arriving or leaving the prison. A small rudimentary hospital complete the facilities.

One of the most incredible stories about prisoners who stayed there is about this American veteran of the Vietnam War wanted by the United States for several murders. Specializes in close combat, he escaped during his transfer to a psychiatric hospital where he was to undergo an evaluation. The exploit is significant, knowing it was fists and feet tied and had managed to escape through a window of the van after being knocked out his armed guards. He then swam for over an hour in a lake before being arrested again.

Today, despite the current situation, it remains surprising that the prison remained in a more than acceptable state. There is few graffiti (two or three) and, except for a few cell doors that were stolen, the site has undergone very little vandalism.

Related content

The old parochial cinema
Gaspésie, Quebec (Canada)

In 1937, we are in the golden age of cinema and in these Gaspé lands, the pastor of this small coastal village is looking for a way to finance the modern church to which he dreams. Convincing parishioners to provide wood and time to build a small...

The abandoned waterpark in Piedmont
Piedmont, Quebec (Canada)

Once upon a time, a small piece of land bordering Autoroute 15 in Piedmont came to life every summer as a place of amusement. The Cascades d'Eau Piedmont, home of the Laurentian's iconic giant faucet, was Quebec's oldest water park when it ceased...

Forte de Nossa Senhora da Graça : fortress Our Lady of Grace
Elvas, (Portugal)

Located in the parish of Alcazaba about one kilometer from the town of Elvas in Portugal, the fortress Our Lady of Grace, better known by the Portuguese as the Forte de Nossa Senhora da Graça or Forte Conde de Lippe, this is a imposing building...

Shannon Park
Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada)

Built in 1949 on the shores of the Bedford Basin in Halifax, Shannon Park is a former site of the Department of National Defence (DND) that stretches on over 96.5 acres (38.8 hectares). While the site was gradually abandoned at the turn of 2000,...